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Topic: American Idol Season 8 (Read 54984 times)

It's difficult to match the excitement of the recent election, but we definitely have some news that will cause quite a stir. AMERICAN IDOL, television’s No. 1 show, returns for Season Eight with a two-night, four-hour premiere event Tuesday, Jan. 13 and Wednesday, Jan. 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). Do we need to even remind you to mark your calendars?

The wait is almost over as FOX announces premiere dates of new and returning series as well as revisions to its 2008-2009 midseason schedule.

January starts with the not-to-be-missed blockbuster premieres of 24 and AMERICAN IDOL. As previously announced, the non-stop action begins and a new day dawns for JACK BAUER (Kiefer Sutherland) when 24 returns with an explosive two-night, four-hour season premiere Sunday, Jan. 11 and Monday, Jan. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). AMERICAN IDOL, television's No. 1 show, returns for Season Eight with a two-night, four-hour premiere event Tuesday, Jan. 13 and Wednesday, Jan. 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

All-new episodes of HOUSE, BONES, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES and HOLE IN THE WALL will air on new nights in midseason. Get real on Mondays with all-new episodes of HOUSE leading into real-time drama 24. Emmy-winning medical drama HOUSE moves to Mondays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and has its time period premiere Jan. 19 followed by the time period premiere of 24 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

FRINGE, the No. 1 new series of the season among Adults 18-49, will air in its regular time period Tuesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) after AMERICAN IDOL starting Jan. 20.

LIE TO ME, the compelling new drama from the producers of 24, debuts Wednesday, Jan. 21 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) after AMERICAN IDOL and stars Tim Roth ("The Incredible Hulk," "Reservoir Dogs") as DR. CAL LIGHTMAN, the world's leading deception expert who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to discover not only if someone is lying, but why. When someone shrugs one shoulder, rotates a hand or raises the lower lip, Lightman knows he's lying. Based on the real-life scientific discoveries of Paul Ekman, the series follows Lightman and his team of deception experts as they assist law enforcement and government agencies to expose the truth behind the lies.

BOOTH (David Boreanaz), BRENNAN (Emily Deschanel) and the Jeffersonian team will continue to dig up more murders when BONES moves to Thursdays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) beginning Jan. 15 followed by more all-new episodes of KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). On Thursday, Jan. 29 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), Chef Gordon Ramsay steps into another kitchen to serve up a fifth course of HELL'S KITCHEN, the unscripted series that puts wannabe restaurateurs through a rigorous one-of-a-kind culinary boot camp.

On Friday, Feb. 13, FOX presents a thrilling new action-packed lineup featuring the return and time period premiere of TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and the highly anticipated series premiere of Joss Whedon's DOLLHOUSE (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT). DOLLHOUSE reunites Whedon with Eliza Dushku ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), who stars as a member of a highly illegal underground group of individuals who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas.

Saturday staples COPS (8:00-8:30 and 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT) and AMERICA'S MOST WANTED: AMERICA FIGHTS BACK (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) continue in their regular time periods with all-new episodes. MADtv (11:00 PM-Midnight ET/PT) and TALKSHOW WITH SPIKE FERESTEN (Midnight-12:30 AM ET/PT) continue their late-night laughs with a mix of encore and original episodes.

Sundays find the right fit with the time period premieres of back-to-back episodes of HOLE IN THE WALL (7:00-7:30 and 7:30-8:00 PM ET/PT) beginning Jan. 18. Following HOLE IN THE WALL, Animation Domination continues with a mixture of encore and all-new episodes of THE SIMPSONS (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), KING OF THE HILL (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), FAMILY GUY (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) and AMERICAN DAD (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT).

Life is very exciting these days. I had my first magazine photo shoot ever and it was a blast. I am getting to do things i never dreamed of doing. It's extremely challenging but i am learning so much along the way.

It's Hollywood week and the first time that we are filming the show in Los Angeles. I am looking forward to seeing the kids and getting closer to this year's idol.

On the music front, Pink's album, "Funhouse" debuted 2 on the BB220 and 1 in the UK. Pink's next single, "Sober" was co-written by Pink and Nate "Danja" Hills and myself. Also, David Archuleta's self-titled debut album drops November 11th and features "To Be With You" co-written by Arthouse Entertainment writer, Eman Kiriakou and myself.

Winners will be revealed during the live broadcast of THE 35TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS which will be hosted by Queen Latifah from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. The first awards show of 2009, THE 35TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS honors fan favorites in television, movies and music.

PEOPLE magazine, in celebration of its own 35th birthday, will team up with People's Choice to present the first ever People's Choice Award for Favorite Star Under 35, in recognition of this dual milestone. Beginning today http://www.pcavote.com/ and http://www.people.com/ will exclusively feature this unique poll, giving fans the opportunity to choose their favorite star, under the age of 35, by narrowing down from a group of Hollywood's biggest celebrities, chosen by PEOPLE's editors.

With the nominees revealed, fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorites in each category at http://www.pcavote.com/ starting today. In addition, from November 10 to December 7, voters at pcaVOTE.com can enter for a chance to win two tickets to the 35TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS. People's Choice community members, both new and existing, are automatically entered into the contest each time they vote on any of the 41 categories. Users must be logged in while voting to enter the contest. Membership is free and benefits include the opportunity to choose the nominees for the 36th Annual People's Choice Awards.

Nominees for THE 35TH ANNUAL PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS were determined with the help of E-Poll Market Research, a leading provider of products and custom research solutions for entertainment and media companies, agencies and Fortune 1000 companies. The study was conducted by E-Poll using the People's Choice Online Community to achieve a nationally representative sample of respondents aged 13 or older. For each category, the respondents were provided with a set of candidates determined by national ratings averages, box-office grosses and music sales. The respondents then chose their favorites in Television, Movies and Music. They also had the option to write in their favorites where not included among the provided candidates. The top three selections in each category became the final nominees.

FremantleMedia, producer of the "Idols" reality-TV show format and soap opera "Neighbours," has agreed a deal to produce programs to be shown exclusively on YouTube and to split revenues with the video-sharing site.

Fremantle, part of Europe's RTL broadcast group, said the deal would seal a partnership that has already begun with Fremantle YouTube channels for shows such as UK hit talent contest "The X Factor" and Australia's "Hole in the Wall."

"Following a period of creative experimentation, FremantleMedia is cementing its relationship with us for content distribution," Patrick Walker, YouTube's director of video partnerships in Europe, the Middle East and Asia said on Monday.

Fremantle will use YouTube's VideoID technology, which recognizes and scans YouTube for copyright-infringing video and then allows the copyright holder to block the video, leave it there to promote the content or place ads next to it.

Claire Tavernier, head of Fremantle's FMX new media division, said the deal offered a chance to make money for the first time from showing Fremantle content on YouTube as well as the opportunity to have YouTube promote its programs.

She declined to estimate how much the deal might bring in over time but noted that the "American Idol" website alone made $13 million last year.

"We know there is money in that field and we also know YouTube has the audience," she told Reuters by telephone. "This is a key way of tapping into that value."

YouTube, the world's biggest video-sharing site, which was bought by Google two years ago, has also just agreed to show full-length TV shows and films from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's archive to boost ad revenue by adding professional programing.

Last month, YouTube forged a similar partnership with CBS Corp.

Until now, YouTube has mainly featured short clips of 10 minutes or less made and uploaded by users.

The new partnerships put the company increasingly into direct competition with Hulu, an online video site owned by News Corp and General Electric's NBC Universal, which shows up-to-date full-length shows from U.S. networks.

When American Idol judge Randy Jackson agreed to MC the fifth annual Songs of Hope benefit gala honoring outstanding achievements in songwriting, he wasn't expecting to present the prestigious Martin Bandier Vanguard award to a former Idol auditioner who never made it past the first round. But that's exactly what transpired when Colbie Caillat accepted the prize Thursday night at the Esquire House high atop the Hollywood Hills. After Jackson complimented Caillat on writing the No. 1 hit "Bubbly," the 23-year-old Malibu native reminded him that she tried out for American Idol with that very same song — and was rejected. "No, you did not!," Jackson yelped. "I didn't refuse her, I think it was Simon Cowell." In an attempt to save face with a crowd of music business heavyweights (among them: Dave Stewart, Hans Zimmer and Will.I.Am), Jackson stuck with the kudos: "I'm telling you something, this 'Bubbly' song is huge, because we just finished auditions for season 8 and we've been hearing a lot of 'Bubbly.' Look, they're no Colbies, but what are you gonna do?"

So how does the new crop of Idol hopefuls look? Speaking to EW.com earlier in the evening, Jackson acknowledged that this year's auditions started off shaky. "But by the time we hit the third city, it was off and running," he said. "Season 8 is gonna be unbelievable. America's got a lot of talent." And with yesterday's announcement that the show will start airing a week earlier than in past seasons, will it also end sooner? Don't bet on it. "They'll probably add more weeks," joked Jackson.

Donny and Marie Osmond’s nephew, Jason Castro’s brother made it to Hollywood

The semi-final rounds for American Idol 8 took place in Hollywood last week, which means it’s time for information about the contestants to leak out, including some quasi-familiar names.

Once again, a message board poster who goes by Joesplace has revealed more than 20 people who made it to Hollywood, and many others who performed in front of the judges at various auditions. (Last year, Joesplace revealed the top 24 after revealing the top 50.)

Others include Anna Kaelin, “the daughter of David Archuleta's vocal coach, Dean Kaelin”; Miss New York, Danielle “Danni” Roundtree; possible ringer Joanna Pacitti, who has had previous record deals and other music industry experience; and Jackie Tohn, an actress who appeared on The Sopranos and On the Lot.

While the economic uncertainly surrounding American car makers has called into question some of the nation's biggest marketing budgets, struggling Ford Motor Co. will be sticking with its American Idol sponsorship for the 2009 season.

"Yes, the partnership between Ford and Idol continues in 2009," confirmed a Ford spokesperson.

Spokespersons for Fox as well as Idol producer Fremantle also confirmed that the relationship remains intact.

That is welcome news to everyone involved with the show, as Ford last year spent nearly $78 million on its American Idol sponsorship (including commercials), and has spent some $328.5 million over the seven seasons of Idol, according to data from TNS Media Intelligence.

The Big Three automakers' hopes for a $25 billion federal bailout were dimmed but not completely dashed last week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has asked the auto giants to submit a plan for how they would spend the requested amount. Congress is likely to reconsider the proposal sometime before Dec. 8, according to reports late last week.

Washington's reluctance to help left media executives everywhere skittish about the future of some major contracts, as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are the nation's third-, sixth- and 14th-largest overall advertisers, respectively. GM's measured-media ad spending was $3 billion in 2007, while Ford's was $2.5 billion and Chrysler posted $1.7 billion, according to TNS data.

GM spent $1.1 billion on TV last year, Ford spent $982.1 million and Chrysler clocked in at $750 million, according to TNS.

Overall, BMO Capital Markets Managing Director of Internet and Broadcasting Research Lee Westerfield notes the automotive industry accounts for 20% of all advertising, and that doesn't bode well for the TV business.

"Automotive at the national and local level is likely to pull back further in 2009, but for slightly different reasons," Westerfield says. "The national dealers are driven more by automotive output and by new brand introductions, both of which are likely to be smaller in 2009 as business investment dwindles."

But a downturn was already evident long before the recent stock market crash. Through July 2008, Ford and Chrysler had each spent 22% less on advertising than last year and GM was down 6%, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

And it is no secret local TV stations are bearing a good amount of the brunt of the automaker troubles.

"Local TV is expected to be down 17% in 2009; excluding political dollars, on an apples-to-apples basis, down 11%," Westerfield says. That underscores the challenges at the station level and in each case, network and stations anticipate autos will be one of the downward drivers for 2009.

Television Bureau of Advertising President Chris Rohrs called the downturn in car sales "a serious, serious problem and a vivid demonstration of the collapse of the consumer economy."

With the economy as it is, Rohrs predicts next year "is going to be very difficult for all stations and particularly for stations that are not leaders in their markets."

Fox is thinking small in its efforts to promote the biggest show on television.

It’s not that the network is scaling back the breadth of its campaign for “American Idol,” the beyond-adjectives reality juggernaut that has kept it No. 1 in key ratings for the past four seasons. From relentless on-air spots to shopping mall takeovers, Fox is readying a marketing push the size of Simon Cowell’s ego to make sure viewers know “Idol” will return on Jan. 13.

The network even recruited reigning “Idol” champ David Cook to headline an on-air promo, marking the first time a past contestant has been used to market a new season of the show.

But after playing up the notion of “Idol” contestants as outsized personalities in last year’s pre-launch promotional campaign, Fox marketing chief Joe Earley has decided to scale things back for season eight.

The changes to the marketing, which come in the wake of a 9% decline in “Idol’s” ratings in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic last season, are in part a reflection of some of the expected tweaks to “Idol” next season, Mr. Earley explained.

“The show is more real, it’s back to its roots,” he said. “It doesn’t have a veneer.”

Mike Darnell, Fox’s president of alternative programming, said it’s too soon to offer specifics about the changes in the works. He did say, however, that “Idol” would be “more intimate” and “more raw” than last year.

“It’s going back to letting the kids be more emotional and seeing more of their reality,” he said. “We’re going to allow the public to see a little more of their emotional state.”

Overall, he said there “are subtle changes and there are bigger-than-subtle changes. But I wouldn’t call anything ‘radical.’”

Two significant shifts already announced include the addition of fourth judge Kara DioGuardi and the departure of longtime showrunner Nigel Lythgoe.

Mr. Darnell said that on a scale of one to 10, his excitement level regarding the tweaks to the show ranks at an 8.

“And I’m a 9 when it comes to the talent,” he added. “We just got done with Hollywood Week, and the talent and the characters we have are the best since season five.”

To fit with the more intimate feel of “Idol,” the marketing for the 2009 model of the show will be more down-to-earth, although Mr. Earley said the network will be spending a little bit more than it did last year.

“Last year, we had contestants reaching a level of perceived stardom much earlier, both in the show and in our marketing campaign,” Mr. Earley said. “We made them look great; the concept was that they had arrived. But looking back, we think that maybe it was too soon to have them arrive. This year, we wanted to make sure we started out with real people.”

Gone, then, are the images of Godzilla-sized generic “Idol” contestants Fox used last year to push the idea that the show created overnight celebrities. Instead, look for print ads that speak to the notion that the next “American Idol” could be anyone—a waitress, a cowboy, a single mom.

“We’re putting our models (in the print campaign) in the real world,” Mr. Earley said. “The hope is to convey that within all these everyday people there is an ‘Idol.’ It takes it to a more relatable place.”

Last year’s ads were accompanied by the tagline “Dream Big,” a phrase that played off the outsized show. The motto for “Idol” this season is the more grassroots-themed “Share Your Voice.”

Mr. Earley said Fox is hoping that slogan—and the marketing that surrounds it—will match the post-election zeitgeist in the country.

“It would be reaching to say we’re trying to tie into the election itself,” he cautioned. “But what we are tapping into is what we’ve just been through and the mood of the culture and the state of our economy. We’ve been through a lot of divisiveness lately, and our message is, ‘It’s time to stop arguing and fighting, to all pull together.’ And the most important message in the on-air campaign is that ‘American Idol’ is an event that brings us all together.”

Mr. Earley said Fox’s on-air spots will “show the range of emotions” that contestants go through during the “Idol” audition process.

“There’s pure celebratory joy ... but the heartache is there, too, the anger of the people who don’t move forward,” he said. “When I watch these spots, even though I’m a cynical television executive who has seen more of the ‘Idol’ process than viewers, I get chills. I’m not exaggerating. You get excited that this journey is back again.”

As for the spot featuring Mr. Cook, Mr. Earley said the ad begins with the singer about to go on-stage to perform his new single, “Light on.” He begins recalling how his “Idol” voyage began, with viewers seeing clips from Mr. Cook’s appearances on the show. “He then steps on-stage, and when he starts singing, you get that rush,” Mr. Earley said.

Mr. Cook spent a whole day shooting the spots for Fox, which began running the promotions over the Thanksgiving weekend. The benefit for Mr. Cook, of course, is promotion for his new album, which was released Nov. 18.

“We’re looking at doing some spots with some other past ‘Idol’ contestants,” Mr. Earley said.

Building Up

Fox’s promotional push for “Idol” will continue to build throughout the holidays. In addition to plenty of on-air, look for the network to aggressively go after the “Idol” audience where they’ll be spending a lot of time during the next month: shopping malls.

The network will dominate kiosk advertising in a number of big-city shopping centers. In addition, several malls will feature an interactive advertisement that will allow shoppers to take a picture of themselves as an “Idol” contestant.

“I love that anyone who’s in the mall can put themselves in one of our ads,” Mr. Earley said.

Also, Fox is teaming with its stations in major markets on a promotion designed to reinforce the feel-good nature of the show.

“Because a lot of the media buys are in malls, we’re doing promotions where ‘American Idol’ and the stations will be giving people gift cards for the holidays,” Mr. Earley revealed. He also said the network would once again “do a ton of radio” advertising, and that AmericanIdol.com—which is not owned by Fox—would also play a key part in touting the show’s relaunch.

Between weekly Paula Abdul crises and endless debate about the quality of each year’s contestants, “American Idol” would seem to be the show that promotes itself, making Mr. Earley’s job relatively easy. But whatever built-in advantages the network has when it comes to hyping the series are more than balanced by the pressure of keeping the show a dominant force in the ratings—and the pop culture.

“It’s imperative that we continue to have the biggest show on television,” Mr. Earley said, fully aware that it’s “Idol’s” supersized ratings performance that has propelled Fox to first place in the Nielsens for the past four years. “We have never taken it for granted.”

Mr. Earley closely coordinates the marketing and publicity efforts for “Idol,” ensuring that both are in sync as Jan. 13 approaches. The spot featuring Mr. Cook, for example, was scheduled to premiere on an entertainment newsmagazine before it popped up on TVWeek.com and then began airing on the network.

And while there will be no shortage of free media reminding audiences of “Idol’s” return, Mr. Earley makes sure not to overlook the smallest details. He insists that every spot include the date and time “Idol” premieres. For the mall ads, “It’s important that from far away, you can see that the ad is for ‘American Idol’ and that the show is back.

“We’re conscientious about every detail,” he said. “When you’re in season eight of a show, you don’t take anything for granted. We need to make sure people know that, OK, we’ve been away—but now it’s ‘Idol’ time.”

"I'm 100% a guy will win this year," Cowell told Extra during a Saturday night interview with ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour.

This isn't the first time Cowell has picked a male contestant as his early favorite to take home the Idol title.

While he was neutral before last spring's seventh season and said there were several "strong" guys and girls, he had said there was "one guy who stands out in the crowd and has what I call the liability factor" prior to Idol's Spring 2007 sixth season, which was subsequently won by Jordin Sparks.

American Idol eighth-season auditions took place this summer, and it will premiere with two consecutive two-hour broadcasts on January 13 and 14.

Following its two-night, four-hour debut, American Idol's eighth season -- which will feature the on-screen addition of new fourth judge Kara DioGuardi -- will air the reminder of its open auditions and Hollywood Week broadcasts in the Tuesdays 8-9PM ET/PT time period beginning January 20 and the Wednesdays 8-9PM ET/PT time period beginning January 21.

Cowell described DioGuardi as "mouthy," but added she's starting to grow on him.

Simon Cowell: ‘You Never Want The People That You Work With To Do Well’

Weeks away from the premiere of Season 8 of “American Idol,” Simon Cowell has admitted there has been tension on the set of the hit Fox show. During a recent interview with Billy Bush for Access Hollywood and “The Billy Bush” show, Cowell confirmed that the addition of new judge Kara DioGuardi has taken some adjustment.

“You know what, it’s like when you’ve had dinner with three friends for years and now someone else joins the table — it’s a bit odd,” Simon told Billy. “That’s what it was like at the beginning. I genuinely couldn’t make up my mind whether I liked it or not. And then, when she was doing the Hollywood round she started to grow on me and I think she’s ballsy.”

When asked if Kara and Paula were walking on eggshells while filming Hollywood week, which Simon and the cast taped in Los Angeles recently, the British judge said that they were.

“A little bit, but you know what it’s like, Billy — when you work with other people you never want the people that you work with to do well,” he said. “You don’t. It’s just not in your human nature to want that.”

And the always-frank Simon was first to admit he doesn’t rejoice when his co-panelists secure new gigs.

“If I read about their deals, I’m not exactly opening bottles of champagne in joy because something good is happening in their lives,” he said. “I’m not like that and trust me, they’re not doing the same for me.”

While he may not be celebrating Randy and Paula’s independent successes, Simon is happy to take credit for a change he said has occurred with Kara since she was first brought on board.

“She’s looking better and I really mean this — I think I have made her look better, and I’m not kidding here… Physically [she] definitely looks better since she’s been working with me,” Simon said. “I think she just got to terms with the way I like people to look and I think she changed her wardrobe, her hair, because she heard me saying, ‘I like this’ and ‘I like that,’ so I definitely had a positive affect on the way that she looks.”

And with her improved attire, Simon said he was able to notice more about “Idol’s” newest star.

“Then I realized during the Hollywood round, she’s actually quite funny,” he said. “I think she knows what she’s talking about, so she’s growing on me… She’s quite hot now actually. But I promise you, you’ll see the difference. She looks better now.”

Okay, I need info on how American Idol works. I just got an email from my cousin that her son made it through the first round today at Freedom Hall in Louisville. Does this get him on the show or are there other rounds?

There are more rounds S1 but that is great news for your cousin's son he must be a pretty good singer

Best of Luck to him!!

Yeah, good luck to him, s1! Hope he made it thru all the rounds and on to Hollywood! If so, you'll have to tell us who he is!

AMERICAN IDOL When will the schedule and any new details about this season be released?

January through March details will hopefully be released before the Holidays. All episodes will be Tuesday-Wednesday. No Thursday’s planned; same overall number of hours as last year. There will be 3 weeks of auditions and 2 weeks of Hollywood rounds. There will be 36 contestants coming here to Hollywood as opposed to 24 last year. There will be a wild card week and there will continue to be 12 contestants in the Finals. There will be a couple of more 2 hour shows than in the past. Promotional thrust will have fewer bad singers and more ‘aspirational’ singers. There will be no Idol Gives Back.

So, lets summarize!

American Idol will be sticking to its Tuesday/Wednesday schedule - Not a surprise There will be 3 weeks of auditions, down from 4 the past few years - YES! Four weeks of auditions, particularly with the bad singers taking up the bulk, had become interminable. There will be a Top 36, rather than a Top 24 - Hm… The Wild Card Week will be re-introduced- Hm… No Thursdays planned- and Hm… There will be 2 weeks of Hollywood Rounds - In the past, there would be at least 3 episodes of Hollywood, which made for some really compelling TV. I think the show really suffered when they cut these back to shoehorn in more crappy auditions. This is good news There will be a Top 12 as in previous years - Just as it should be.

Promotional thrust will have fewer bad singers and more ‘aspirational’ singers. There will be no Idol Gives Back. - Fewer bad singers? Hallelujah. It was getting to the point where I could not stomach the auditions anymore, they became so predictable and contrived. I wonder if the death of auditioner Paula Goodspeed has impacted this decision at all. With a tough economy gripping the nation, giving Idol Gives Back a rest is a good idea.

I’m a little unclear as to how the Semi-final/Wildcard round will play out. It’s not really outlined in this memo. Will they go back to the way they did it Seasons 1-3–which was to have groups of contestants perform each week, with the Top vote getters moving on to the Top 12? The Wildcard round had rejected contestants come back to perform again, filling the remaining Top 12 slots…

They needed to make a change. Let us get invested in the singers earlier. Last season we really never heard the ones who made the finals until they got to Hollywood. I'm so tired of the losers although a few will stick in my mind forever. William Hung, the guy with the white feather hat and cape, singing I am your brother! The Yellow bird lady.

They needed to make a change. Let us get invested in the singers earlier. Last season we really never heard the ones who made the finals until they got to Hollywood. I'm so tired of the losers although a few will stick in my mind forever. William Hung, the guy with the white feather hat and cape, singing I am your brother! The Yellow bird lady.

The wait is almost over for the return of television’s No. 1 show! Last season’s finale boasted a record-breaking nearly 100 million votes cast in the crowning of David Cook as the winner, and now, AMERICAN IDOL is set to return with a two-night, four-hour premiere event featuring extraordinary talent and outrageous new auditions Tuesday, Jan. 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Jan. 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

The lucky auditioners who get the judges’ approval then move on to the “Hollywood Round” where contestants vie for a semifinalist position during the grueling next phase of the auditions. Extended for one week, the “Hollywood Round” episodes air: Tuesday, Feb. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT); Wednesday, Feb. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT); and Tuesday, Feb. 10 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). On Wednesday, Feb. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), dreams come true for three dozen hopefuls, as Simon, Randy, Paula and Kara announce the Top 36 semifinalists.

It will then be up to America to decide who moves forward in the competition. For three consecutive Tuesdays including: Feb. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), Feb. 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), 12 different semifinalists will perform each night in the hopes of moving on to the Top 12. Each week during the LIVE results shows airing Wednesdays: Feb. 18 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), Feb. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and March 4 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), the three finalists with the highest number of America’s votes will secure coveted spots in the Top 12.

On Thursday, March 5 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), AMERICAN IDOL presents a special “Wild Card” episode featuring the judges favorite remaining contestants. After each of the contestants perform, the judges will select the three final contestants who will round out the Top 12.

The competition heats up as those Top 12 finalists take the stage for the first time together Tuesday, March 10 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed). Immediately following, America has another chance to share its voice and vote for their favorite finalists.

Executive Producer of American Idol Ken Warwick spoke to the media yesterday regarding the exciting new changes for season eight, and he made sure to separate fact from fiction. The goal, as always, is to keep the core aspects of everyone's favorite show in tact while providing elements that give it a fresh feel each season. One way this is done, according to Ken, is smart coverage of the hopefuls during the audition process. After seven seasons, many of them have become what he calls "camera savvy," even developing an idea for what they think they should say. Ken said that they tried to shy away from covering these folks this year, as he thinks it looks fairly obvious, and the judges don't like to see that either.

There will also be more coverage of the social interactions during Hollywood Week, much like there was a few seasons ago. Appealing to the viewer's sense of curiosity, we will, once again, be able to find out when some auditioners did things like playing in the pool instead of spending the time rehearsing with their groups. The Wild Card is another thing that will be returning this year, and Ken explained the thought process behind its reinstatement. As he puts it, by the time the show is down to its Top 12, the fans have been seeing these same faces for weeks and weeks, which can make it a bit boring. The Wild Card "keeps it fresher for longer," according to Ken, and gives us a chance to get to know all 36 hopefuls.

Ken addressed some of the concerns about the prior experience that some of these hopefuls have when auditioning for AI. While he understands the love of the notion of finding a previously undiscovered star, he says that it's just not going to happen all the time. In fact, he says that he looks at it a different way, and some of these folks have seen record deals come and go without success. They come to AI feeling a bit bruised and battered, but the show ends up restoring their faith in the music business. As long as they have no management now, that's all Ken says should matter.

Ken also talked extensively about the decision to add Kara DioGuardi as a fourth judge this season and, to him, it simply made sense. Not only did the Idol concept begin with four judges, but Kara adds even more legitimacy to the panel with her background. As Ken explained, in past seasons, Kara would move in once the new Idol was crowned and she would take a pivotal role in his or her music career--writing, producing, making an album. As he said, "So she's probably the best qualified person to know what we're looking for, which we thought was a good idea. She's young, she's opinionated, she's incredibly talented, and she's a really good singer." In the past, when the judges would rate the singing, the critique would come by way of a verbal review. With Kara, she is able to tell the auditioner, "This is how you should have sung that," and she actually sings it! According to Ken, this happens in a couple of the audition shows.

Another interesting element she provides is one of empathy. Apparently, there are instances in which she gangs up with Paula Abdul against Simon Cowell in allowing the kids another chance to overcome their nerves. Ken explains how sometimes the stress of the situation can take over: "It's just one of those things. You’ve been sitting there all day, and you’re frightened to death, and you know you’re a bit tired or you’ve driven 500 miles to get there and you’re not going to be great." Unlike Simon, Kara and Paula would pick up on this, and give them a little more "leeway" to try and improve. Simon does not react well to this, as one can imagine, which makes for great TV, according to Ken!

As many have probably heard, Ken confirmed that Idol Gives Back will not return this year. In addition to this being a tough economical time for the nation, Ken admits to the fact that it's also a grueling preparation process, calling it a "heavy workload on everybody." He says that it's also challenging to keep the quality of the "main show" up when preparing for such an extensive event, not to mention the finale comes only weeks later. However, all this doesn't mean that IGB won't ultimately return. As Ken said, they'll take a look again next year and decide at that point whether to do it.

American Idol premieres in less than a month on FOX. It will undoubtedly once again be the highest-rated and most talked about series on American television. One of the biggest reasons (perhaps the biggest reason) for American Idol's enduring success has been the presence of acerbic Brit Simon Cowell at the judges' table. Cowell is American Idol's breakout star and always has been, even more so than any of the stars American Idol has created over the years. This morning, Cowell took some time out of his busy schedule to hold a conference call with the press. He discussed the addition of new judge Kara DioGuardi, what we can expect from this year's crop of singers, and the Paula Goodspeed tragedy, among other things. You can read the highlights of the conference call below.

Simon has no idea whether the addition of a fourth judge will work or not. He supports trying new things, but sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Simon wasn't crazy about the last couple of years, with the smaller group of finalists. He likes bringing back the Wild Card stages.

Simon says the guys were better than the girls, by a long-shot, during the Hollywood rounds. After Hollywood, Simon thinks they have an interesting group of finalists, different from people than they've had before.

Apparently they are adding a new Emmy category for Best Reality Show Judge. Simon says it's a good idea if he wins the Emmy, bad idea if he loses.

Simon on new judge Kara DioGuardi: Kara has experience, is opinionated, has written hit songs and she talks a lot.

The judges tried to be as broad and open-minded as possible when selecting the finalists. He thinks personality is as important as talent for a show like American Idol.

Simon doesn't like referring to Goodspeed as a stalker, given the tragedy. He regrets that they didn't know how troubled she was. He wishes they could have known, and then tried to help her. The process of open auditions doesn't allow research for people. Oftentimes, before the bad singers audition, they'll warn them that if they don't like criticism they shouldn't audition. Simon also vouches for the integrity of the producers. He doesn't like how they've been portrayed in the media recently.

Simon says the two female judges ganging up on him hasn't been that bad.

Simon's been happy with the album success of both David Archuleta and David Cook. He says that success always depends on the material.

No Idol Gives Back this year. One reason is that it doesn't feel right to ask people in a economy in recession to give money. They'll be doing it again, just not this year.

RE: Paula's comments criticizing Simon. He admits guilt, but that's their relationship. He doesn't think her remarks were as pointed as they are being interpreted as.

In the wake of the Goodspeed tragedy, Simon has thought a lot about maybe tempering his criticisms of the contestants. After reflection, he thinks they should continue on as they have in the past. He believes they've gone through it with a sense of humor. Also, he thinks the process is worth viewing for the audience. If you're not good, you should find a normal job, etc.

Simon says they try every year to get Paul McCartney on the show, but to no avail so far. He loved having people like Lionel Richie and Quentin Tarantino on the show, and would welcome them back. They recently had Beyonce and Britney on the British version and loved them.

He loves breaking the ties, the other judges hate it. There have been a few ties, a few arguments.

Simon thinks Chris Daughtry changed things for the rockers on the show. A lot of so-called rockers show up and are clearly fake. He's not surprised at Idol singers being successful in different genres, like rock and country.

To Simon, personality is just about as important as talent. He thinks last season had a lot of singers who didn't have great personalities and didn't speak their minds. This is the year, he believes, that the singers fight back.

Simon loved it in Salt Lake City. The city, the air, the people. He was very impressed with the talent. He was expecting a more serious place, but it was quite fun.

Simon says he had never spoken to Kara prior to her hiring for Idol. The judges had no say in the matter, she was just brought on.

Simon doesn't think that there are as many ringers in the mix as there were last year. He prefers to have newer talents, who haven't been in the industry. He didn't mind having people like Carly Smithson on the show last year, however.

Simon says Britney would be first on the list in terms of possible mentors or just as a performer.

Simon says all the cities this season represented themselves well. No stand-out awful city, so stand-out great city.

He loves that FOX hasn't been greedy with Idol, and has resisted the urge to put on twice a year. Simon says he'll continue to do the show until they're not welcome anymore. He thinks American Idol can continue without him and be just fine.

Simon doesn't remember the Paula Goodspeed audition. He vaguely remembered the audition after seeing it on the news. He reminds us that there are always seven security guards in the room, and they can stop the audition at any time.

American Idol is plumbing its past to bolster its future, in the wake of a seven percent audience decline for the previous cycle.

Among the changes on tap for Season 8, premiering Jan. 13, is the resurrection of two elements from seasons gone by — one of which affects game play, the other offering fun (if not deliciously catty) insight into the semifinalists.

As hinted in recent weeks, Season 8 will reinstitute the Wild Card round, in which singers who don't make the Top 9 are afforded one last chance to improve their fortune and thus comprise the Top 12.

"We want to change things up a bit," exec producer Ken Warwick tells TVGuide.com. Though the exact process has yet to be cemented, he says, "The judges can pick anybody they like that they thought maybe was better but just off form and then decide on three" from that group. Such a "save" is what kept eventual second-placer Clay Aiken in the Season 2 mix.

Also during the now-extended Hollywood round, Idol will spend time behind the scenes with the singers, chronicling the tomfoolery, tension and backstabbing which transpires during the hotel hallway rehearsals and run-throughs. (Invariably, one wannabe will choose a late-night hook-up over committing lyrics to memory, invoking the ire of his/her group members.) "I like that [look backstage] a lot," says Warwick. "I can't remember the reason we did away with it, but it very definitely is back this year."

Warwick's thoughts on two other tweaks to the new cycle of America's favorite reality competition:

Four's Company

Noting that the panel always featured four judges on the U.K. version of Idol, Warwick says that newcomer Kara DioGuardi "is fitting in vey well. She's a great singer ... and on a number of occasions she'll say, 'No, you should sing it like this' and she lets rip. It's great."

Idol Gives Back Won't Be Back

Explaining the decision to give the charitable effort a rest this cycle and, come 2010, adopt an every-other-year timetable, Warwick says, "It is an incredible stretch" of manpower to work the star-studded spectacle into an already intense season. "To add the weight of a huge charity show ... is very, very difficult," especially with the big finale coming just weeks later.

All told, Warwick insists that "no panic changes" have been made to Idol, only ones that made sense at this juncture in the show's run. As he notes, "We wouldn't have been on TV for eight years if it wasn't doing it right."

What's your take? Do you welcome the return of the "wild card" element? Psyched to revisit the hotel antics?

"American Idol" judge Simon Cowell believes this coming season will be the year the male contestants shine.

"The guys overall, maybe about five or six of them, were just stronger and stood out more than the girls," Cowell told reporters on a conference call yesterday. "But I've said this in the past and been wrong. Anything can happen."

Aside from the gender divide, this year's group of aspiring singers will be much livelier than the last, said Cowell, who's adamant that contestants be as talented as they are interesting.

"Last year, it was sort of like battle of the blonds, and they all looked the same," Cowell said. "This year, there seems to be more personality. They're definitely standing up for themselves more, which I like, and they're different from people that we've had before."

Although he says it's too early to tell, Cowell is hopeful that the addition of a fourth judge, singer/songwriter Kara DioGuardi, will boost the program. He hasn't seen the recent footage featuring DioGuardi, but from the experience of judging alongside her, he believes she will be good for "Idol."

"She's got experience," he said. "She's written hit songs, she's got an opinion - which is very, very important - and she talks a lot."

DioGuardi has worked with former "Idol" winners in the past, including Carrie Underwood and David Cook, which Cowell says proves she's not "snobby" about the process of finding talent on a television show, which can still be a problem in the music industry.

Cowell says he is happy to have the "wild card" round back in rotation, which he says will create "more fun" in the middle stages of the competition. He also said he agreed with the decision to skip the "Idol Gives Back" charity drive this year, so that viewers can focus on paying their own bills during the recession.

As for Paula Abdul's recent (and repeated) comments that he coerced her into appearing confused during live tapings, Cowell says he's guilty as charged and again apologized.

"But that's part of the relationship that I've had with Paula," he said. "It was never done with any maliciousness. She's never had an issue with me about it. If I thought I'd gone too far, I'd apologize. I thought she took most of this with a sense of humor. If she said, 'Don't ever do that again,' I wouldn't."

Cowell also said the suicide by former contestant Paula Goodspeed was "awful."

"My regret in all of this is we didn't know how troubled this person was, and if I could go back in time and know what she was going through, we could have spent time trying to help her," he said. "But we genuinely didn't know."